Thank for consulting on the…

Thank you for consulting on the Province's proposed new Provincial Planning Statement (PPS). Attached is a copy of Report PDL-CPL-23-011.1 outlining the Regional Municipality of Waterloo's response to this proposal. Waterloo Regional Council accepted the report at its meeting on May 24, 2023.

Below is an executive summary of our report.

The proposed PPS 2023 would significantly scale back Ontario’s current land use planning policy framework. This change is intended to stimulate housing supply by giving municipalities more control and flexibility to determine where and how they should grow, while continuing to support the goals of building healthy, liveable and complete communities.

However, over the long term, the increased policy flexibility could result in a more fragmented approach to growth management at the regional scale. As a result, the proposed policy changes could potentially weaken strategic decision making on a wide range of Regional services, such as public transit, assisted housing, public health, economic development, and infrastructure including water supply and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and roads.

Moving forward, ongoing close collaboration between the Region and its seven Area Municipalities will be essential to coordinate planning for growth with the planning, delivery and financing of various Regional services.

The Region and its Area Municipalities have been leaders in the protection of agricultural land for many years. If passed, the Province’s proposal to permit up to three new residential lots on an existing farm parcel would significantly impact the quality and character of the region’s countryside. These agricultural impacts would make it much harder to operate a farm in Waterloo Region, weaken the agricultural sector, and work against the goal of building a strong sustainable local food system.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to comment on this proposal. Please refer to the attached report for more detailed comments.